Chemicals React
by VolknersGirl
Summary: NO A SONGFIC! Missing most lyrics What happens when Paul regrets his actions in the Orburogh gym and Dawn takes it the wrong way? T for lang


"**_Alright, Time. Out! You've already battled Ash once before, why not stay and watch?"_**

"_**Hmph…??"**_

"_**W-what's wrong?"**_

"_**What's wrong? Who are you?"**_

"_**Excuse me you're rudeness, but we met once before! The names Dawn!"**_

"_**Don't remember."**_

"_**YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY DON'T YA?! Listen mister, you nasty and selfish spoiled brat, apologize!!"**_

_I should have reacted differently. _Paul walked down the empty streets of Veilstone. _Now that stupid girl won't leave me alone! Every time I'm around she does something to annoy me and when I ask her what her problem is she completely ignores me! DAMN IT! That little brat is going to drive me insane! _He walked into the empty pokemon center and checked in a room. Suddenly _**she** _walked in. Paul froze at the sight of her, and Dawn froze when she realized he was there. She quickly turned on her heel and stalked out of the pokemon center wiping her face. _What the hell happened to her? _Paul raised an eyebrow at Ash and Brock who both ignored him and checked a room. _Well, there's no point in going after her, she'll just annoy and ignore like usual. _Paul turned to go down the hall when someone grabbed him.

"Hold it!" It was Ash. "Go find Dawn!" he said in an almost snarl. Paul was taken aback at this reaction.

"What? No! Go find your own girlfriend!" he said and shook off Ash's grip.

"Paul! Go find DAWN!" Ash was nearly shouting. Brock placed a hand on his younger companion's shoulder.

"What Ash is asking is that you please find Dawn and tell her you are sorry." Brock said.

"For what?" Paul spat.

"For being a jerk!" Ash roared.

"Forget it Ash. Let's just leave Dawn alone." Brock said turning his back to Paul and stepping in front of Ash. Ash growled at Paul and strode down the hall slamming the door to his room. _Why is he all worked up? What happened to her? And why the hell are they blaming me?! _Paul turned questioningly to Brock who shrugged and turned to follow Ash with a sigh.

"You make me feel out of my element  
Like I'm walkin' on broken glass  
Like my worlds spinnin' in slow motion  
And you're movin' too fast"

Dawn's beautiful voice drifted to Paul's ears as he exited the pokemon center. He paused off guard to listen.

"Were you right, was I wrong  
Were you weak, was I strong, yeah  
Both of us broken  
Caught in a moment  
We lived and we loved  
And we hurt and we jumped, yeah  
But the planets all aligned  
When you looked into my eyes  
And just like that  
The chemicals react  
The chemicals react"

At this point he was wondering why her voice sounded so pure and innocent and…sincere. He wondered if she actually ment the words…

"You make me feel out of my element  
Like I'm drifting out to the sea  
Like the tides pullin' me in deeper  
Makin' it harder to breathe

We cannot deny, how we feel inside  
We cannot deny"

Then she skipped part of the song… and some lines…

"We lived  
_(We loved)_  
We hurt  
we jumped  
We're right  
We're wrong  
We're weak  
We're strong  
_(We)_ I lived to love

Were you right, was I wrong  
Were you weak, was I strong, yeah  
Both of us broken  
Caught in a moment  
_(We lived and we loved)_  
And we hurt and we jumped, yeah  
But the planets all aligned  
When you looked into my eyes  
And just like that  
The chemicals react  
The chemicals react

Watch the chemicals react  
And just like that  
The chemicals react…"

By now Paul definitely realized the lines she changed and skipped and wondered if they _ment_ something? Then Dawn stared up at the moon and wrapped her arms around her knees resting her face on top.

"Is it true? Does he really not care who I am?" she asked. Paul wondered if there was someone near he just couldn't see. But the rock Dawn was sitting on was just to the left of the pokemon center entrance (were he was standing) and up a little further. The moon shone brightly and as far as Paul could see there was no-one else in sight.

"Were you right, was I wrong…?"

"Were you weak, was I strong…?"

"And we hurt and we jumped…?"

Then Dawn buried her face in her arms and Paul wondered what she was doing. Then she lifted her head and he saw tears silently falling down her cheeks as she gazed at the bright moon. Dawn closed her eyes and rested her cheek on her arms looking to the side. Paul quietly walked over and placed a hand on her back. Dawn lifted her head about a quarter of an inch before freezing in her position. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a black shoe and gray cargo pants. Paul slid his hand from her back to her shoulder and pulled her back upright. The whole time Dawn felt that his grip was too tight, too hard, too…forced. He didn't want to do this. That much was obvious.

"What?" she asked harshly, not even bothering to wipe her face of tears. Let him feel guilty! Not that it matters anyways! Paul didn't answer. He pulled her to her feet off the rock and stood in front of her. Dawn gazed defiantly into his amethyst swirling eyes looking for some sort of explanation. Finding none she asked again "What do you want Paul?" Dawn couldn't help it and her voice cracked when she said his name. Dawn turned her face to the side letting her hair block her face as another tear formed in the corner of her eye. It glistened in the moonlight as it threatened to drip down her cheek. Before it could fall, Paul raised his hand and gently wiped it off. Dawn gasped and turned to face him. Paul's eyes still showed no emotion but his movements weren't as forced as before. Paul took a breath and then gently pressed his lips against hers. Dawn's eyes widened and she froze. When she finally realized what was happening Dawn reacted by pulling away and backing up. She had a hand covering her mouth in shock and a steady stream of tears flowing down her cheeks. When she spoke it was in a cracked whisper. "How could you? Paul…I know you don't care for me, but to stoop this low…I didn't think it was possible…" Dawn turned and ran into the forest.

* * *

Paul growled and cursed under his breath before running after her. Dawn had run only a few feet when Paul caught up. He grabbed her and quickly over-powered the young coordinator backing her into a tree. He was almost smashing the poor girl into the tree. Dawn refused to look at the purple-haired trainer and looked at the ground to the side. Paul said her name but she still refused to look up. In anger he tightened his grip without realizing it. Dawn winced and Paul immediately released his grip so he was only laying his hands on her shoulders gently. At this Dawn looked up. She had thought he would continue smushing her into the tree. She had willed it. Anything to escape the horrible pain of his betrayal. She stared at him with the pain clear in her eyes and Paul broke down.

"Troublesome… stop this. It's nonsense and stupid. I wouldn't stoop as low as kissing you just to make you stop annoying the- to stop annoying me. I can suck it up. I wouldn't bother making you happy if I didn't care, I wouldn't treat you the way I do if I hated you. I wouldn't…I wouldn't bother to tell you this if I didn't…love you." Paul stared at her for a long moment then let go and turned away. Dawn was still pressed against the tree in confusion. Then the lyrics came back to her…

_But the planets all aligned  
When you looked into my eyes  
And just like that  
Watch the chemicals react  
And just like that  
The chemicals react_

She ran after him and grabbed the trainers arm. Dawn stared into his swirling lilac, lavender, violet, plum, amethyst, purple -what ever you want to call it- eyes. She then, very cautiously, pressed her lips softly against his. Paul saw this as a clear sign and immediately took over. He kissed her hungrily and backed her into another tree accidentally. They were both so lost in the kiss, that they didn't realize that it had started raining lightly. When Paul finally pulled back the rain had intensified slightly and he had pinned her to the tree by jamming his hands into the trunk on either side of her. They were both panting faintly from the lack of oxygen and then –for the first time that night- Dawn smiled. Paul was relived he hadn't scared her with the intensity and zeal of the kiss.

"Were you right, was I wrong?  
Were you weak, was I strong?  
Both of us broken  
Caught in a moment,  
We lived and we loved  
And we hurt and we jumped, yeah

But the planets all aligned  
When you looked into my eyes  
And just like that  
Watch the chemicals react…"

Dawn's voice echoed softly and lightly in Paul's ringing ears as she sang and then, finishing, she took his hand off the tree trunk and intertwined her fingers with his. Dawn motioned in the direction of the pokemon center and the two began walking.

_And just like that  
Watch the chemicals react…_


End file.
